Sealed sportlight

ABSTRACT

A sealed flood light, for example, for use outdoors, comprises at least one series of three bulbs each of the three bulbs having a colored filter and an electrical supply in a sealed frame. The sealed flood light is capable of changing color by varying the intensity of each of the bulbs by regulating, independently, the electrical supply system of each of the bulbs, using a regulator, for example.

The present invention is in the field of lighting and relates moreparticularly to a sealed flood light, which can be used for example onan outdoor stage for shows. This floodlight is designed in such a way asto make it possible to change the color of the light emitted.

Various kinds of floodlights are known which are capable of shining alight beam which can be adjusted in intensity and which can be made tochange color. This change of colour can be achieved using coloredfilters interposed in a beam of white light, which filters can bedisposed in a ring or overlaid one above the other. It is also possibleto carry out this change with an assembly of filters and of dichroicmirrors in the light beam. In practice all these systems with theiradvantages and drawbacks are more or less effective when they areworking indoors. As soon as one wishes to use these unsealed floodlightsoutdoors it is necessary to find solutions for protecting them from badweather without impairing performance. If one has unsealed floodlights,they will certainly be limited in their steering movements on account ofinterference with the covers provided for their own protection.

French Patent FR 908.257 presents an apparatus intended for underwatersearches and characterized by an underwater floodlight forming onentirely closed assembly, completely sealed, which effectively resiststhe pressure of the water, even at great depths, and exhibits greatmechanical robustness.

American Patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,606 relates to an apparatus foroutdoor use which consequently is exposed to inclement weather and whichis used as a floodlight with high-intensity light and as a steerablefloodlight for accentuating buildings and other constructions.

The present invention aims to alleviate these difficulties. It presentsa sealed floodlight, which consequently can be subjected to inclementweather, which can change colours by reason of the assembly of filtersavailable to it and of the independent electrical supply system for eachof the bulbs which it comprises.

The subject of the present invention is a sealed floodlight comprisingat least one series of three bulbs placed on a circle with theirrespective filters and their electrical supply system placed inside aframe in the form of a shell composed of two pieces, a front pieceexhibiting a bore placed in front of each bulb and closed by a glasspane secured to this front piece and another rear piece, the two piecesbeing joined by way of an O-ring seal; a gland being placed on the rearpiece of the shell allows the passage of cables for supplying theelectrical system, exhibiting a fixing rod, characterized in that itcomprises a central bulb which emits yellow or white colored light, thelight beams emitted by the bulbs and the central bulb beingsubstantially parallel.

In a preferred mode of execution the filters relating to the bulbs arealternately red, green and blue. In this mode of execution, thefloodlight can advantageously contain two series of three bulbs whosefilters are slightly more tinted from one series to the other. Thesefilters are placed behind the glass panes between the glass panes andeach bulb so that the light beams are coloured.

The clamping of the two pieces of the shell is advantageously effectedwith fixing screws which collaborate to press the O-ring seal betweenthe said pieces.

To facilitate the clamping on the inside the bulbs collaborate withtheir sockets which are housed in a bas which bears against a plate forseparating two parts, the plate supported by the rear piece of theshell; the base and the plate are fixed by screws to the rear piece ofthe shell.

In one preferred embodiment the floodlight exhibits a compact shape; itcan advantageously be an ovoid or a sphere.

It comprises a fixing rod with at its head a ball joint whose clampingis effected by means of the screws and of a round base which matches theshape of the ball joint.

In another mode of execution the electrical supply cables pass throughthe ball joint of the rod, thereby avoiding the need to have the glandin the rear part of the shell.

It is also possible to substitute the ball joint at the head of the rodwith a screw and nut set together with a sealing collar.

The appended drawing represents by way of non-limiting example apreferred embodiment of the subject of the present invention as well asa variant to this first.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 represents a longitudinal section through the floodlight, showingthe layout of the main components in a variant with double-ball-jointrod,

FIG. 2 is a front view of the floodlight with two times 3 white bulbsforming a circle and furnished with colour filters which are in front ofthe corresponding bulbs, this view shows us the presence of a centralbulb,

FIG. 3 represents another variant of a rod with a ball joint at one endand a screw and nut pair at the other.

In FIG. 1 the shell 1 is composed of two pieces, a front part 2 and arear part 3. The front piece which houses in the bores 4 the colourfilters 5, maintained by a spring collar 6 and of [sic] a sealed glasspane 7. The sealed glass panes 7 which serve to protect the filters 5adhere to the front part 2 by the silicone glue seals 8. The filters 5and the sealed glass panes 7 are on the axis of the bulbs 9. The bulbs 9are supported by the pressure of the front part 2 and are plugged intothe supply sockets 10. The supply sockets 10 are housed in a base 11which matches their shapes, revealing only the electrical contacts forthe power supply to the bulbs 9. At the rear of the base 11 is a plate12 which makes it possible to hold the sockets 10 and to have them bearagainst the base 11. The plate 12 has a hole 13 on the axis of thesocket 10 so as to allow the passage of the electric wires (notrepresented in the drawing). The screws 14 make it possible to hold thebase 11 and the plate 12 against the rear part 3. The front part 2 isheld against the rear part 3 by the tightening of the screws 15 in thebase 11. An O-ring seal 16 lies at the end and around the perimeter ofthe rear part 3. The O-ring seal 16 allows sealing between the frontpiece 2 and the rear piece 3. The front piece 2 squeezes the O-ring seal16 against the rear part 3. The squeezing of the O-ring seal 16 iseffected by the screws 15. There are collars 17 at the rear of the headsof the screws 15 for sealing the front piece 2. The collars 17 aresqueezed by the tightening of the screws 15 against the front piece 2.On the rear piece 3 may be seen a sealed gland 18 which allows thepassage of the electric cables for supplying the electric sockets 10.The sealed gland 18 is screwed into the rear part 3 and also comprises acollar 19 which allows the sealing of the gland 18 with the rear piece3. The collar 19 is squeezed by the sealed gland 18 against the rearpiece 3. A double-ball-joint rod 20 makes it possible to move the rearpiece 3 along all the axes. This ball joint rod 20 similarly matches itshousing in the piece 3. The clamping of the ball joint 21 is effected byscrews 22 and a round base 23 which matches the shape of the ball joint21. It is possible to have the electric cables pass through the rod 20and its ball joints 21, 21 a by so as to replace the use of the sealedgland 18. It should be noted that if the electric cables are passedthrough the rod 20 and its ball joints 21, 21 a, it is essential to havea sealed device (not represented in the drawing) similar to the previousones and which would allow the sealing of the ball joint 21 with therear piece 3. At the other end of the rod the ball joint 21 a is housedin the base 24 which makes it possible, in a similar manner to the rearpiece 3, to be able to move the ball joint 21 a in all the axes. Theclamping of the ball joint 21 a is effected by screws 25 which passthrough the round collar 26 and the base 24 allow good clamping sincethey match the shape of the ball joint 21 a perfectly. The holes 27allow the base 24 to be fixed to a wall or any other flat surfaces. Itis possible also to have a sealed device in the base 24 so as to allowthe passage of the electric cables through the rod 20 and its balljoints 21, 21 a which, once again, would avoid the use of the sealedgland 18.

In FIG. 2 we can appreciate a front view of the floodlight with thefront part 2 and with the bulbs 9 on the axes of the bores 4 and whichare in a configuration around a perimeter of a circle. The electricsockets 10 as well as the position of the filters 5 and the sealed glasspanes 7 found in FIG. 1 can be defined on the same axes of the bores 4.Also apparent are the screws 15 which allow the clamping of the frontpart 2 against the rear part 3 as well as the central bulb 9 a.

In FIG. 3, there is shown an alternative rod 20 a whose upper head whichcollaborates with the rear piece 3 of the shell 1 is composed of a screw28 with its nut 29. Tightening is achieved by the squeezing of a sealingcollar 30. If one has this configuration of rod 20 a, the steering ofthe floodlight must be done exclusively with the aid of the ball joint21 a housed in the base 24 a.

Finally, the floodlight 1 composed of six bulbs 9 with their respectivecolour filters 5 and their individual supply systems makes it possible,with the collaboration of regulators 80 for varying the current, toadjust the luminous intensity of the beams which will pass through thefilters 5 whose basic red, green and blue colours may have shades oftints. For example, if there are two sets of three red, green and bluefilters, one set could be darker than the other, so that the floodlightcan provide a very varied sample of colours. Mention should also be madeof the additional brightness-increase effect afforded by the centralbulb 9 a which in the case specified has no filter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A sealed floodlight comprising: a shell includinga front portion and a rear portion sealed to the front portion; holesthrough the front portion; a set of bulbs comprising a first bulb, asecond bulb and a third bulb in an array in the shell; an additionalbulb emitting yellow or white light, wherein each of the bulbs isconnected to a respective individual electrical power supply and eachpower supply is electrically connected to a regulator for individuallyadjusting the luminous intensity and each of the bulbs is positionedbehind a respective hole in the front portion, each hole being sealed bya pane positioned in front of each of the bulbs; a respective colorfilter in front of each of the bulbs of the set of bulbs and behind thepane; whereby adjustment of the luminous intensity of each of the bulbsby controlling the regulator is capable of changing the color andintensity of the illumination from the floodlight.
 2. The floodlight ofclaim 1, further comprising a sealed cable entry through the shell forsealing the entry of electric wires to the electric power supply.
 3. Thefloodlight of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third bulbs arearrayed in a circle and the additional bulb is a central bulb in thecircle.
 4. The floodlight of claim 1, further comprising a fixing rodattached to the shell for supporting the shell.
 5. The floodlight ofclaim 1, wherein the shell rear portion is sealed to the front portionwith an O-ring seal.
 6. The floodlight of claim 5, wherein the pane issealed to the front portion using silicone glue.
 7. The floodlight ofclaim 5, further comprising a sealed cable entry through the rearportion of the shell for sealing the entry of electric wires to theelectric power supply.
 8. The floodlight of claim 7, wherein the sealedcable entry comprises a packing gland on the rear portion of the shell.9. The floodlight of claim 3, wherein the holes and panes are sodisposed with respect to the bulbs that beams of light emitted by thebulbs are approximately parallel forward of the front portion of theshell.
 10. The floodlight of claim 1, wherein the first, second andthird filters are respectively red, green and blue.
 11. The floodlightof claim 1, wherein the set of bulbs further comprises a fourth bulb, afifth bulb and a sixth bulb, each having a respective filter that has adarker shade of color than the color of the respective filter for thefirst bulb, the second bulb and the third bulb.
 12. The floodlight ofclaim 1, wherein the filter for each bulb is placed behind the lens foreach bulb and the bulb.